Chennai: The legislature party meeting of the main Opposition AIADMK will be held here on 14 June to elect the Deputy leader in the Assembly and the Party Whip ahead of the Assembly session beginning on 21 June. The earlier meeting of MLAs held last month had elected former Chief Minister and AIADMK joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami as their legislature party leader and also as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. The meeting on 14 June will happen at a time when there is said to be a rift between Palaniswami and the partys coordinator O Panneerselvam and amid expelled general secretary V K Sasikalas efforts to make a comeback into the party. Meanwhile in a joint statement here Thursday AIADMK coordinator and former CM O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami said the MLAs meeting would be held at party headquarters at 12 noon on 14 June. They said all the MLAs were asked to attend the meeting by carrying their MLA identity cards wear face masks and follow the social distancing norms. Citing the Covid pandemic they also said none of the AIADMK cadres and functionaries will be allowed entry. The meeting is being held in the backdrop of a series of audio clips going viral in the social media in which Sasikala hinted at her return to politics and guide the party on the path shown by late leader J Jayalalithaa. Party sources said the MLAs meeting was being held to elect the deputy leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly and the Party Whip besides office-bearers of the legislature party. Senior AIADMK leader and former Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar has submitted petition to Tamilnadu DGP J K Tripathy seeking permission for holding the meeting in view of the pandemic induced lockdown.

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